Abstract
Flavobacterium sp. is a fastidious bacteria that it is often difficult to detect from the infected fish and its environment. The indirect fluorescent antibody technique (IFAT) was evaluated as a method for solving this problem.
Rabbit antisera of 4 strains of Flavobacterium sp. and protein A-FITC conjugate (Pharmacia) were used in this study. Twenty six cultures from 18 species of bacteria other than Flavobacterium sp. were tested for cross reaction. The gills and the skin from experimentally or naturally infected fishes were investigated using IFAT, plating method and phase contrast microscope. The water from the fish ponds was also examined.
Results revealed that the sensitivity and specificity of IFAT were capable of detecting the gill disease pathogen from the hosts and the environment.
